Friday, March 26, 2010

Day 1: The Journey Begins

My name is Ashley, and I am a stay at home mother of two young children.  I live in Ashley Grove Apartment Homes and have been a resident since September of 2007.

Since moving in I have witnessed the children who live in this complex playing in the parking lot, throwing rocks at cars, climbing all over vehicles, writing on mailboxes, and playing on porches of residents they don't know.  I have always viewed this as unacceptable and thought about doing something, but until today I didn't take that first step. 

In our apartment complex there is a defunct tennis court.  It has not been used, I am guessing, for at least ten years.  It is an eyesore and offers nothing to our community.  Replacing it with a playground will revitalize the neighborhood, be an attractive amenity for prospective residents, and most importantly, give all these kids somewhere to play - SAFELY. 

Here is what we have to work with:
This is the only entry into the tennis court.  Please notice the litter and the lock on the gate.  Kids squeeze in between the fence all the time.  NOT SAFE!

A few pictures of the inside:


Please sign our petition to help get this ball rolling quickly.  You can also check us out at Kaboom, which is a website dedicated to helping communities build parks and playgrounds.